All language subtitles for A.Taste.of.Italy.S01E08.Viterbo.1080p.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-squalor

(bright music)

- [Host] I'm chef and
restaurateur, Nisha Katona.

- The star of the show there
is a gorgeous aubergine.

- [Host] I love coming to Italy
on delicious foodie forays

to see what Italians
are really eating.

- This is a tuna hot dog, I've
never seen anything like it.

Buongiorno.

- [Host] In the markets.

- This is like an Aladdin's
cave for the pork lover,

which I am.

- [Host] On the streets.

- Mmm.

- [Host] And in the restaurants.

- It's well worth getting
here, just to try this.

(upbeat Italian music)

- [Host] Now I'm taking
the path less-traveled

to hidden culinary hotspots.

- It's one of the most beautiful
cities I have ever seen.

- [Host] On a voyage to
uncover recipes and ingredients

passed down from generations.

(laughs)

- You bring in your
family, your history.

- Our history is the
base of our future.

- [Host] Proving there's
more to Italian food

than just pizza.

- Mint and tuna, try it.

I would never have
thought about it.

- [Host] And on the way I'll
be cooking up new dishes

inspired by my travels.

- It's fantastic.

- A million different colors

and a thousand
different flavors.

- [Host] So join me on an
idyllic Italian escape.

- Delicious.

(calm Italian music)

- Today I'm in the beautiful
medieval city of Viterbo.

Once a seat to Popes
escaping the infighting

and trouble back in Rome.

- [Host] Viterbo is located
in the northern part of Lazio,

Italy's central region.

This elegant and
perfectly preserved city

protected by walls
and ancient gates

can easily be reached
from the capital, Rome,

so it's no surprise
the medieval Popes

found safe haven here.

And like many ancient
Italian towns,

it's hilltop position
meant Viterbo was also able

to safeguard its
traditional dishes.

- Mmm!

- [Host] And there's one I'm
particularly interested in,

especially as I'm not
even sure what it is,

with its deceptively
simple name.

- Viterbo is also home to
some really historic recipes

and one that I see on menus
everywhere is Acquacotta

and I'm fascinated
by it so I've come

to one of the best
places in town

to find out what it's about.

- [Host] Acquacotta sounds more

like a well-known Italian
dessert, Panna cotta,

but it looks like a
gorgeously hearty veggie stew.

And as I arrive at
Trattoria Archetto,

tucked under a medieval
arch that gives it its name,

I meet with chef Enrico
who's going to reveal

the key ingredients of
this traditional dish.

- What does Acquacotta mean?

Acqua, water?

- Cooked water.

- Cooked water?

- Yeah.

When you put the pot
of water on the fire

and it start to boil,

Acquacotta.

And then you can add
all the vegetable

also garlic, onion, potato.

- Is Acquacotta a soup?

- Yeah.

At the end, you add one egg
per person inside the broth.

- Uh huh. Do you crack the egg

into the broth?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, nice touch.

- Yeah.

- [Host] So this cooked
water is a vegetable broth

topped with a poached egg

and as Italian cooking
is always based

on the freshest ingredients,

these green veggies will
undoubtedly all play

uniquely flavorsome roles.

- [Enrico] Wild mint.

- Wow, this is wild mint?

- [Enrico] Yeah, wild mint.

- So strong.

- [Enrico] Yeah.

- Wow, so clean.

- Very, very taste.

Wild fennel.

- Fantastic.

- [Enrico] And all seasonal
wild herbs like chicory.

- This is wild chicory?
- Wild chicory, yeah.

- [Host] It's amazing that
even wild foraged veggies

also going into
this soulful soup.

- It's born in our
land when the cowboys

and they took the
vegetable in the field

and in the evening they
prepare the Acquacotta.

- It's one of these
peasant dishes,

a poor dish from the land.

- Yeah, poor dish.

- And yet it takes pride
of place on your menu,

in your beautiful restaurant.

It's so fascinating that this
combination of ingredients,

for me, it's like a
whole feast in a bowl.

(laughs)

And I can't wait to try it.

I'd love to have a bowl of it.
- Yeah.

Is that okay?

- Yeah, sure.

- Yeah.
- Have a seat.

_ Table for one, then.

- Yeah.

(laughs)

- [Host] Enrico
has already cooked

a large pan of the
vegetables in water

and to finish my soup, he
ladles some into a frying pan

and poaches the egg
in the steaming broth.

- This feels like it's
not going to be heavy.

It feels like it's going to
be fragrant and health-giving.

- [Host] Well, the
proof of the pudding

is luckily in the eating.

- Enjoy your Acquacotta soup.
- Oh, thank you!

- Oh, I'm so looking
forward to it.

Thank you so much.

It's such a hearty dish.

You know, it's got this
fantastic egg with the yolk

and instantly you've
got that gold veneer

of generosity when
you've got a runny egg

on top of anything.

It's a gorgeous thing.

Potatoes, but I can
see the greenery.

It just looks as though it's
going to be so good for me,

so I can't really
wait to dig in.

Mmm!

This is exactly the kind
of cooking that I love.

It's so completely humble,
born from the land.

It doesn't really have a name.

Acquacotta, cooked water.

And yet it's so ancient
and so well loved.

And this is what I
love about Italy.

You know, this is a dish
that they're so proud of.

It's been passed down
through the centuries

and you can imagine a shepherd

or a cow wrangler in their
hut in the, in the hills,

finding complete
sustenance from this.

You know, and what
was heartwarming

and soul-feeding
hundreds of years ago

is certainly heartwarming
and soul-feeding now,

I think it's
absolutely delicious.

- [Host] It's only my
first taste of Viterbo,

but I'm already
inspired by the cooking

of those wonderful vegetables
and herbs in water.

And I intend to use
that technique in my
own dish later on.

But, for my next stop,

I'm heading to the
countryside near the city,

towards some more
water that sounds

like it should be
pretty cool too.

- Just 20 minutes away from
Viterbo is Lake Bolsena,

which is Europe's
largest volcanic lake.

So when locals fancy
some freshwater fish,

this is where they come.

- [Host] A visit to the
picturesque city of Bolsena

is a must as this beautiful
tree-lined town is

on the shores of a
stunning natural wonder,

a huge volcano freshwater lake

formed almost 400,000 years
ago and teeming with fish.

I'm meeting chef Caterina,

who is lucky enough to have
her restaurant right here

on the lake.

- Hello, Caterina.

- Hello and nice to meet you.

- So lovely to be here.

And this water is so clear,

you must get some amazing
fish from this lake.

- Yes, it's amazing because
this is a volcanic lake.

- [Nisha] Yeah.

- Also the quality of fish,
it's something superior

from the other lakes in Italy.

- I can't wait to see
how you cook them.

Should be look at your kitchen?

- Yeah, let's go.
That'd be great.

- [Host] Caterina creates
simple, subtle dishes,

but those nutty fish rolls
reveal layers of flavor

with the delicate fish dressed

with lemon-zested,
herbed breadcrumbs,

a grassy zing of
parsley dressing

and a salty kick from
mini purslane leaves.

- Oh, wow.
- See it.

Fantastic. Beautiful fish.

- Yeah, this is
the most popular,

the most characteristic
and best known fish

in the lake of Bolsena.

This is the Coregone.

- Do you what's incredible
that's hitting me?

The smell is sweet and fresh.

- Yeah, this is just
caught. In the night.

- So you're saying this
was caught last night.

- [Caterina] Yeah.

- So tell me about Coregone.

What, what is it similar
to, do you think,

that might be in the,
in the British waters?

- In your country, the trout
is similar to the Coregone.

- [Host] So if it's like trout,

this super fresh fish will
have a sweet nutty taste.

- So Lake Bolsena is volcanic.

- [Caterina] Yeah.

- Very typical kind of water.

So what does that do to
the flavor of the fish?

- The flavor is
the, the sweetness,

you have lots of mineral
inside this, this soft flesh.

If you have a clean fish
that eats clean food,

it's important for you.

- Uh huh, so this is
layers and layers of purity

- [Caterina] Yeah.

- From the lake itself
through the fish

to us.
- Absolutely.

- [Host] While she could
have got the fishermen

to descale and fillet the fish,

Caterina insists
on having a hand

on every stage of the recipe.

- [Nisha] Still beautiful.

- [Host] Ensuring she
keeps the maximum amount

of tender flesh on those
iridescent, fresh fillets.

- It's ready. This
is your fillet.

Now we're going to
prepare Coregone rolls.

- Coregone rolls?
- Yeah.

- We are used to
calling in Italiano

rotolini di coregone.

Coregone rolls.

- Rotolini de coregone
- Rotolini

is what I am going to call it.

- Yeah.

- Rotolini, fantastic.
- Okay, perfect.

- [Host] As the fish is
from a fresh water lake,

it's important to season the
fillets with salt and pepper.

- The second step,
it's one vinegar.

- [Host] The acidity of
the vinegar slightly cures

the delicate flesh and now
for the next layer of flavor.

- These breadcrumbs
is made by ourself.

We dried the bread and then
we cut it in a Thermomix.

- [Nisha] Uh huh.

- But we dried the herb
arom-, herbs aromatics too.

- You dry your own herbs?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I let you see the,
just one kind of herbs

because we have a big quantity.

We do day by day.
- Uh huh.

- [Host] Sage,
parsley and rosemary

are all dried in the
oven for over 12 hours,

which really intensifies
the grassy, herby note

they give to the breadcrumbs.

- And the chopped lemon.

- Oh, my word! That's
not just breadcrumbs.

There's a lot going on.

You can smell all

of those herbs in there.
- Yeah.

And I can smell the
lemon zest as well,

so there's- it's
packed with flavor.

- [Host] The breadcrumbs
will give a crunchy texture

as well as a herby,
lemony zing to the fillets

accentuated by spicy olive oil.

- And then, you roll up.

- Really beautiful
as it is, my word.

- [Host] Rolling them will
help the herby flavors

to infuse the fish.

The fillets go into
the oven at 180 degrees

for a quick roast
for only 8 minutes.

- And now you go outside so
I bring you the dish ready.

- Oh, perfect.

Okay, see you, see
you in 8 minutes.

- [Host] Almost as soon
as I take a scenic seat

on the terrace, the herbed
fish rolls are ready.

Caterina drizzles a punchy
parsley juice onto the plate

and places the warm
lemony fillets on top.

Unctuous olive oil
adds a grassy note

and purslane leaves
give a salty kick.

- Here we are.
- Wow!

- This is your
plate, it's ready.

- That is so beautiful.
- Coregone rolls.

- I love how golden this is.
- Yeah.

- This is the oil.

- It's so
transformative, isn't it?

You know, there's that
beautiful silver fish.

Can I try it?
(ducks quack)

It looks amazing.

- [Host] Even the ducks concur.

- So fleshy.

(ducks quack)

Mmm!

Breadcrumbs are full of flavor.

- It's a lot.
- Thank you so much.

- I leave you to finish
your plate with your ducks.

- They're celebrating with me.

Thank you so much Caterina.
- Thank you to you.

It's wonderful because
it's quite fleshy,

which I didn't expect
from a lake fish.

(geese honk)
You see?

I love how actual this
is, but it's true.

It's fleshy and it's full
of a really delicate,

mineral kind of flavor.

And it was simple.

8 minutes in the oven.

I mean, it really is letting
the fish do all the talking

and, my gosh, it's
got a lot to say

from something as ancient,
volcanic and deep as this.

I love it.

- [Host] I have thoroughly
enjoyed seeing Viterbo's chefs

layer on flavor to enhance
simple ingredients.

And I feel inspired to whip
up a tribute to this city

all of my own,

but before that,

I've heard there's one
more more-ish morsel

I have to try.

- I love it.

- [Host] I'm in the stunningly
elegant city of Viterbo

in North Lazio.

- Viterbo has the best
preserved historic center

in the region and it's unique

for its external staircases

that are a charming
feature of medieval houses.

- [Host] Another symbol
of the city is the lion

and you'll see them carved
into fantastic fountains

and standing majestically
on top of buildings.

They represent the legend of
Hercules, who wore lion skins

and was one of the mythological
founders of Viterbo.

And you could say
this beautiful city

has the lion's share
of deceptively simple,

but flavorsome recipes too.

Already, I've eaten Acquacotta,

a warming water-poached
vegetable and egg soup

and Caterina's lemon
breadcrumb-filled fish rolls,

fresh from the lake.

But before I get down
to cooking my own dish,

there's a Viterbo
speciality that I'm told

I have to discover.

One of the great sights in
Italy is the mouthwatering line

of cured hams hanging
down from the ceiling,

the well-stocked delis.

I love shops like that

and I'm excited
to have been told

about this Emporium to pork.

- This is like an Aladdin's
cave for the pork lover,

which I am.

The smell is incredible.

It is a celebration of the pig.

This is really,
really fantastic.

Look at this!

- [Host] This proud
display of hams are

at different stages
of curing and aging.

- It's like garlands of glory.

Just look at that.

It's so playful.

Just, it's just a
different salami,

but you wanna grab it don't you?

And you can imagine kids
loving stuff like that.

- [Host] I could spend
the whole day in here,

but I've spotted a
rather particular salami

that must be that
Viterbo speciality.

- Ah ha ha, this is it,
the Susianella Viterbese.

- [Host] Susianella is
an artisan liver salami

honored by the
slow food movement

and thankfully, Simonetta
from the deli is on hand

to tell me why it's so special.

- [Simonetta] Hi.

- Hi! Ciao, Simonetta.
- Ciao.

- I am just squeezing
your sausages.

(laughs)
- Yes.

- They are beautiful.

And what's in this sausage?

- In this sausage
you can find liver.

- [Nisha] Uh huh.

- And shoulder.

- Uh huh.

- And bell.

- [Nisha] Belly?

- Yes.

- And what spices
do you have in it?

- Fennel and hot pepper, yes.
- Uh huh.

- So strong flavors.

- It is a stronger flavor, yes.

- Wow. So tell me, is this
something you can only get

in Viterbo?

- Yes, because it is
an Etruscan salami

and our region is
an Etruscan people.

- [Host] The Etruscans
were an ancient people

that came before the Romans

and Viterbo was in the
center of their kingdom.

- We, we know that people,
Etruscan, made these salami.

- That's incredible. How
old is that recipe then?

- Very, very old.

- I love that that recipe
has been handed down

for, well, a couple
of thousands of years.

- Yes.

- [Host] Well, the
only thing left to do

is taste this esteemed salami.

- Okay, incredible.

So just eat it like this?

Mmm!

I love it!

It's one of the best
salamis I've ever eaten.

Honestly.

So many flavors.

A little bit piquante
- Fennel.

Yeah, fennel, a bit,
a little bit hot.

- [Simonetta] Yes.

- Creamy.

- Hot pepper, just a little.

- It's so soft immediately.

You put it in your mouth, it
floods your mouth with flavor.

I want to see how many I
can get in my suitcase.

(laughs)
- Yes!

It's possible.

- Around my neck.

- I'm very happy that you-

- I really love it.

- Oh, thanks.
- Really well done.

- Sono contenta.

- Thank you so much.

- [Host] What a great
final taste of Viterbo,

but now, inspired by not one,

but two of the
dishes I've tasted,

in the cloisters of one of
the city's main squares,

it's time I cooked my own dish

in honor of this fabulous city.

- I've had a wonderful
time here in Viterbo

and tried so many
fantastic dishes.

But the one that really
inspired me was that lake fish

that Caterina made.

So I'm going to show you
a poached fish parcel

with a hazelnut
butter that just makes

a really simple supper.

- [Host] And as I also
loved the poached vegetables

in that Acquacotta soup,

I'm going to serve them as an
accompaniment for the fish.

And doesn't it look
healthy and delicious?

Lemony, poached lake fish
and colorful veg drizzled

with creamy nut butter,
which I'll start with.

- This is good butter,
salted or unsalted.

We start by heating a
little bit in a pan.

- [Host] About 75
grams should do it.

- We're going to dress
the fish with this.

It's three fillets of
fish that I'm cooking

so we need quite
a bit of butter.

- [Host] And the nuts I'm using
are locally grown hazelnuts.

- This area is known for them.

They are delicious.

And all we do is
roughly chop them.

Want some big bits,
want some fine shards

because it all fries
up beautifully.

All I'm going to do is just
drop that in the butter.

So simple.

- [Host] Cook the
chopped hazelnuts

until they go golden brown.

- I'm going to add into
this a little leaf of sage

just to give it that
perfume of herbs.

So we just pop that in.

Sage is always lovely
when it's fried.

So you want it to splutter.

Now, can you see how brown
that's going in the pan?

That's going to be that
source of nutty richness.

- [Host] Put that glistening
goodness to one side

and let the hazelnuts infuse.

- The real star of this dish

is this beautiful lake
fish that I bought.

You can use anything.

You could use trout, salmon,
sea bass, whatever you fancy.

So my nut butter is ready.

My fish is waiting.

I'm going to start
that Acquacotta.

- [Host] First up, two
carrots with their tops on.

- We're just going to cut
the carrots length ways

and leave a little
bit of the tail and,

and head on because they're
quite pretty like that.

They just go in the
pan, really simple.

Next step is fennel.

They love fennel in Italy

and fennel goes
beautifully with fish.

So we just cut it into thirds.

Goes in the pan.

- [Host] Next, a lovely
purple radicchio.

- But here, what they do,

one thing is they
use it in salads,

but they cook it a lot.

They bake it, they put
cheese and breadcrumbs on it.

They poach it and that's
what we're gonna do.

So we get a beautiful
radicchio, leave the bottom on.

I'm cutting them into quarters

because we want
nice hefty chunks.

And they're just going to poach
in with that water as well.

- [Host] And just like
that amazing Acquacotta,

I'm putting lots of
other lovely veg in too,

celery, chard and sage.

- Now I'm putting the water in.

We're just going to cover it

because this is then
going to just simmer away.

- [Host] Now onto
making my fish parcels,

which will poach in the
same pan as the veg.

- Piece of foil.

Got two slices of lemon on
which the fish is going to sit.

And what's great
about that is it means

the fish won't stick,

but also you've got
the flavor of the lemon

just gently percolating
up through the fish.

- [Host] So get those
fillets onto the lemon slices

and seasoned with
salt and pepper.

- Now I'm just going to put a
whole single clove of garlic

in here, I'm not even
going to puncture it

because fish is such
a delicate flavor.

You really don't
want to overpower it.

I'm also going to
put a sage leaf in,

and then I'm going to
just drizzle a little
bit of olive oil

and that's for flavor.

And then simply make
a tent out of it.

Remember it's
always shiny side in

because that reflects the
heat back into the fish.

- [Host] Crimp
the sides together

to make sure no water gets in.

- Within that parcel, the
juices are going to be released

and that fish is going to
poach in its own juices,

no additional water.

- [Host] The fish will
steam gently in the parcels

on top of the vegetables.

That just needs to gently
cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

- This has had eight minutes.

Gosh, the smell from
that pan is incredible.

- [Host] Drain the
excess water from the veg

onto kitchen paper.

The radicchio, celery,
chard and fennel,

which is called
finocchio in Italy.

- A bit like Pinocchio
is the way I remember it

and then I feel so clever.

Right, let's see how
this fish has turned out.

This is a real moment for me.

It's beautiful, wow.

The smell is incredible.

I've got the garlic, I've got
the sage, I've got the lemon.

And look at the pink blush
to the liquid in there.

I mean, it's mouthwatering.

And can you see how
it's beautifully done?

- [Host] So arrange those lovely
vegetables onto the plate.

Then a small drizzle of olive
oil and a squeeze of lemon.

And now, time for
the succulent fish

and the crowning glory of
that creamy hazelnut butter.

- And there it is.

My poached fish parcels with
a fantastic hazelnut butter,

my ode to Viterbo.

- [Host] And that dish
is also my tribute

to the city's wonderful
ingredients and recipes.

From that traditional and
delicious cooked water.

- I mean, it's
absolutely delicious.

- [Host] Via those
lemony lake fish rolls.

- Mmm!

- [Host] And ancient
liver salami.

- It's one of the best
salamis I've ever eaten.

- [Host] It's been a delightful
menu in a stunning location.

I won't forget the dishes
I tasted in Viterbo

and I will be back for more.

(upbeat Italian music)